Locomotive underframe buffer



c. c. c, BURKHARbT LOCOMOTIRVE UNDERFRAME BUFFER Nov. 29, 1938. l

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8, 1955 Nov. 29, 1938. c. c. c. BURKHARDT LOCOMOTIVE UNDERFRAME BUFFER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June '8, 1935 Patented Nov. 29, 193.8

UNITED YSTATES PATENT OFFICE 2,139,199 y LocoMoTivE UNnERFRAivm BUFFER Conrad C. C. Burkhardt, Philadelphia, Pa. Applicationjune s, 1935, serial No. 25,591

Claims.

This invention relates generally to an improved buffer for a locomotive underframe and trucks, especially adapted for Diesel electric locomotives, and relates more particularly to an improved buf- 5 fer between the trucks.

vVarious buier arrangements have heretofore been proposed for transmitting thrust from a truck to the locomotive frame in order to relieve the Vcenter pin of excessive loads. One such arrangement has included a transverse buifer connected at its ends to the side sills of a frame. Such an arrangement is believed to be deiicient in many respects, and it is an object of my invention to provide an improved and simplified buffer for transmitting thrusts from a truck to the underframe, whereby minimum stresses are created in the frame structure and at the juncture of the buffer with the frame, and wherebya combination is provided that is economical in construction, efficient in operation and requires minimum space so as to permit more efficient` use of adjacent space beneath the underframe at points adjacent the buffer.

Due to my improved arrangement, I am able to accomplish the foregoing desirable results while at the same time effectively providing a storage space of considerable size adapted to contain storage batteries or other devices.

Other objects and advantages will be more ap` parent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying vdrawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a locomotive of the electric type or Diesel type partly broken away to show details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the underframe of Fig. 1 with the cab and superstructure removed;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the cooperative relation of the trucks and buffer when travelling around the curve;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig.` 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective looking upwardly at the lower side of the underfram-e and showing my improved longitudinal type of buffer;

Fig. '7 is a transverse section of my improved type of buffer embodied in a built-up underframe and showing the manner in which the buffer stresses are effectively resisted in longitudinal directions by the frame.

In the particular embodiments of the invention which are shown herein merely for the purpose of illustrating certain specific forms among poselectric type.

The cab and superstructure indicated at 2 are supported upon an underframe generally indicated at 3, Which in turn is supported through center pins 4 and 5 on trucks B and l.

'I'he underframe, preferably cast as an integral unit, has side sills 8 and longitudinal intermediate ribs or sills 9 all of which are connected by cross members I0 and end portions II.

The inner ends of trucks 6 and 1 are connected by a draft bar I2 having loose pivotal connection with said trucks as indicated at I3 and I4. These connections are made in suitable pockets I5 and I9 within the truck frame while arcuate bearing surfaces Il'and I8 are formed adjacent said pock-` etsA and `extend outwardly from the trucks.

The bearing surfaces I'I and I8 are arranged to contact a longitudinal buffer generally indicated As seen more clearly in the diagrammatic perspective of Fig. 6, the buffer 20 projects downwardly from the under side of the underframe and for a substantial longitudinal distance thereof, the buffer being longitudinally reinforced by ribs The buffer is provided with openings 22 and 23' in its end walls through which the'draft bar I 2 extends.

It will be noted that the longitudinal underframe,

In addition the longitudinal Walls 24 and 25 due to their Aappreciable length and depth function to reinforce the underframe at its middle portion between the trucks with consequent desirable results.

The longitudinal walls 24 and 25 are preferably substantially in alignment with the intermediate ribs or sills 9 and hence cooperate with these elements of the frame to insure a rigid and effective frame and buffer structure.

As a result of this improved longitudinal type of buffer, considerable space is left on each side thereof, thus permitting compartments 2l and 28 to be formed along each side of the buffer. If desired, storage batteries 29 may be carried within these compartments and access had thereto through suitable openings 30 in the side sills. Such side compartments are omitted from the diagrammatic perspective of Fig. 6 merely for purposes of clarity in illustrating the principles of my improved buffer.

It will be understood that such compartments do not have to be used unless desired, although my improved arrangement provides very effective means of forming such compartments. It is preferable that the buffer should be reinforced by a longitudinal partition 3l disposed above the bottom wall 32, thereby providing not only a compartment for the draft bar I2 but also permitting the bearing flanges I'l and I8 to have ample contact with the buffer as is clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The principles of my improved longitudinal bulfer may be employed in either an integral cast frame as above disclosed, or may be very effectively employed in a built-up frame as shown in Fig. '7, wherein side sills 35 are suitably supported in any usual manner with respect to center sill elements 36. In this case the longitudinal buffer is preferably an integrally cast unit 31 having preferably recessed flanges 38 projecting upwardly between channels 36 of the center sill and secured thereto at longitud-inally spaced points thereof as by bolts 39, rivets or other suitable means.

From the foregoing disclosure of the two modications, it is seen that I have provided an extremely simple yet highly effective and compact buffer arrangement that will efficiently transmit loads from the truck to the underframe with minimum possibility of distortion or fiexure of the buffer itself or of excessive strains or stresses being imposed upon the frame or in the joining portions between the buffer and frame. It will be understood of course that one or the other of the center pins 4 land 5 has slidable contact with its truck, such a bearing being specifically shown at 4. Such sliding action is necessary not only to avoidl binding between the contact surfaces I'l or I8V and the buffer when travelling around a curve but also to permit the truck 'l to pull truck 6 into contact with the buffer through the draw bar l2 as whenvthe locomotive is travelling to the right, and also to permit the truck 1 to engage the buffer when the locomotive is travelling to the left. Such specific details,

, however, do not form a part of my particular invention as these features are well known and of common usage with various forms of underframe buffers.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the'art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, an underframe, spaced trucks upon which said underframe is mounted, a buffer of materially greater extent longitudinally than transversely and supported by said underframe by being directly secured thereto only along the central portion thereof and simultaneously directly engageable with said trucks, said buffer having a lower horizontal wall and a horizontal partition wall interposed between said lower Wall and the top of said underframe, and a draft bar connecting said trucks and eX- tending longitudinally between said walls.

2. In combination, an underframe, spaced trucks upon which said underframe is mounted, a buffer of materially greater extent longitudinally than transversely and supported by said underframe by being directly secured thereto along the central portion thereof and engageable with said trucks, and means associated with said buffer and underframe for forming longitudinally extending compartments disposed laterally of and adjacent to said longitudinal buffer below the top of said underframe and having side openings for access to said compartments.

3. In combination, an underframe having lintermediate sills, spaced trucks upon which said underframe is mounted, and a longitudinally extending buifer supported by said underframe along the central portion thereof and simultaneously directly engageable with said trucks., said buffer having longitudinally extending walls lying substantially inthe same vertical plane with said intermediate sills of the underframe.

4. In combination, an underframe, spaced trucks upon which said underframe is mounted,

a buffer of materially greater extent longitudinally than transversely and supported by said underframe by being directly secured thereto only along the central portion thereof and simultaneously directly engageable with said trucks, said underframe and longitudinal buffer being cast as an integral unit so that the buffer reinforces the underframe at the middle thereof.

5. In combination, an underframe having a spaced center sill, spaced trucks upon which said underframe is mounted, anda longitudinally extending cast integral buffer unit simultaneously directly engageable with said trucks and supported by said underframe along the central portion thereof by being secured to said center sill at longitudinally spaced points thereof.

CONRAD C. C. BURKHARDT. 

